NPS vs equity mutual funds: Similar returns, ~₹72 lakh difference driven by taxes
By Tejashree Satpute
Tax Planning
Jul 17, 2026
Swathi, 35, and Harsha, 37, both work in tech in Hyderabad. Their household income is above ₹1.5 crore a year, half of it paid in company stock. Their net worth is ₹10.12 crore, and ₹7.3 crore of it, 88% of their investable assets, sat in 2 US tech stocks.
Then they booked a new home, due in 2029. Paying for it meant selling stock, and how they sold it would decide whether they paid about ₹20 lakh in capital gains tax or close to nothing.
This case is 1 of 4 in 1 Finance’s 2026 research report on the value of personalised financial advice. Names and some details have been changed.
The builder’s offer
The builder offered 10% off for paying the full price upfront. On paper, that looked like an easy saving. In practice, it meant selling ₹3.14 crore of stock in 1 go. By the report’s analysis, that would have put the Section 54F exemption out of reach and cost the couple about ₹20 lakh in tax.
How Section 54F works
Section 54F of the Income-tax Act, 1961 exempts long-term capital gains on assets other than a residential house, such as shares, when the sale proceeds go into a residential house in India. The relief carries over to the Income-tax Act, 2025, which applies from 1 April 2026, under a new section number. The main conditions:
| Condition | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Asset sold | A long-term capital asset other than a residential house. Foreign shares held for more than 24 months qualify as long-term. |
| What must be reinvested | The net sale consideration, not just the gain. If only part is reinvested, only a proportionate share of the gain is exempt. |
| Timing | Buy the new house within 1 year before or 2 years after the sale, or construct it within 3 years after the sale. |
| Other homes owned | On the date of sale, the seller must not own more than 1 residential house other than the new one. |
| Cap | The cost of the new house counted for the exemption is capped at ₹10 crore. |
| Lock-in | Selling the new house within 3 years reverses the exemption. |
Without the exemption, long-term gains on foreign shares sold on or after 23 July 2024 are taxed at 12.5% without indexation, plus surcharge and cess. On a large, highly appreciated holding, that adds up quickly.
What the advice changed
The advisor rebuilt the sale as 10 tranches over 3 years. Spreading the sales keeps the exemption within reach and, according to the report, should bring the tax bill to zero.
The new home still had to be paid for on schedule. An EPF withdrawal and a home loan at 7.5% cover the payments in the meantime, so the stock waiting to be sold stays invested and keeps growing until each tranche is sold.
The tax plan was only part of the work. The household’s money had run on autopilot for years:
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Section 54F tax at stake | ₹20 lakh | Should be zero |
| Mutual fund schemes | 32, bought without a plan | 8 |
| Savings, % of cash income | Under 10% | 25% |
| Auto loan at 9% | Open | Closed |
| New stock vests | Accumulating | Diversified as each one arrives |
Where the value came from
The report values the advice at 239 basis points of net worth a year before fees, against a fee of 21 basis points. That leaves net value of 218 basis points, about ₹22.1 lakh a year, or 11 times the fee.
| Dimension | Value (bps) | Value (₹ a year) | What it covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course correction | 49 | ₹5.0 lakh | A loan bridge instead of a stock sale; 32 schemes cut to 8; the auto loan closed |
| Goal planning | 22 | ₹2.2 lakh | The 10-tranche Section 54F plan, counted at 50% because the couple already knew of the exemption |
| Behavioural coaching | 131 | ₹13.3 lakh | Unwinding the 2-stock concentration; diversifying every vest; ending years of inaction; savings up to 25% |
| Continuous monitoring | 37 | ₹3.7 lakh | 54F compliance, cross-border tax, SIP tracking, stress tests and yearly tax harvesting |
2 details are worth noting. The tax plan itself earns only partial credit, because the couple knew the exemption existed; the advisor’s contribution was making it work. And the largest item is not tax at all. It is getting a family with 88% of its investable money in 2 stocks to start selling.
Lessons for anyone paid in stock
- Treat vests as income, not as an investment decision. Each vest that is held is a fresh choice to stay concentrated. Diversifying on arrival removes the choice.
- Check the tax route before you accept an upfront discount. A 10% discount on a home can be outweighed by the tax triggered by selling everything at once to pay for it.
- Plan the sale around the purchase, not the other way round. The timing windows in Section 54F reward sales that are sequenced with the home’s purchase or construction.
- Bridge with cheaper money where it makes sense. A home loan or EPF withdrawal can buy time for invested assets to be sold in an orderly way.
- Check the conditions before relying on the exemption. The limit on other homes owned and the ₹10 crore cap can change the answer.
Section 54F planning depends on facts specific to each household, including holding periods, other property owned and construction timelines. Take advice from a tax professional before acting on it.
Source: 1 Finance, What personalised financial advice is actually worth, 2026 research report. Names and some details have been changed. Tax figures assume the household meets the conditions of the sections used. Figures are estimates, and the plan is counted before it is complete.
